Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Consequences
Wales may have voted to leave the EU but did those who formed that slim majority fully understand the possible consequences of their actions?
The latest potential outcome could have a devastating effect on the Welsh car industry, with Aston Martin’s Chief Financial Officer warning that leaving the EU without a deal could prove “semi-catastrophic” for the car manufacturer and force a temporary halt to production:
Aston Martin selected the Ministry of Defence’s St Athan site in the Vale of Glamorgan as the location for its second UK manufacturing plant. Earlier this year it stated it was on target to start production of its new SUV, the Aston Martin DBX, in 2019.
At present, cars approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) can be sold across the EU. If a deal is not agreed to allow this arrangement to continue after Brexit production will have to stop until new certification to sell vehicles abroad is secured.
Mark Wilson set out his concerns to the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee:
He said: “[For] Aston Martin it is far, far simpler than it is perhaps for Honda and some of the other larger international players. We are a British company.
“We produce our cars exclusively in Britain and will continue to do so and without VCA-type approval it really is quite a stark picture for us.”
He warned that if this type of approval was not carried over there would not only be “significant costs” but “the semi-catastrophic effects of having to stop production because we only produce cars in the UK”. Mr Wilson also stressed the need for clarity so the company could plan where to invest.
Let us hope that the UK Government are listening.
The latest potential outcome could have a devastating effect on the Welsh car industry, with Aston Martin’s Chief Financial Officer warning that leaving the EU without a deal could prove “semi-catastrophic” for the car manufacturer and force a temporary halt to production:
Aston Martin selected the Ministry of Defence’s St Athan site in the Vale of Glamorgan as the location for its second UK manufacturing plant. Earlier this year it stated it was on target to start production of its new SUV, the Aston Martin DBX, in 2019.
At present, cars approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) can be sold across the EU. If a deal is not agreed to allow this arrangement to continue after Brexit production will have to stop until new certification to sell vehicles abroad is secured.
Mark Wilson set out his concerns to the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee:
He said: “[For] Aston Martin it is far, far simpler than it is perhaps for Honda and some of the other larger international players. We are a British company.
“We produce our cars exclusively in Britain and will continue to do so and without VCA-type approval it really is quite a stark picture for us.”
He warned that if this type of approval was not carried over there would not only be “significant costs” but “the semi-catastrophic effects of having to stop production because we only produce cars in the UK”. Mr Wilson also stressed the need for clarity so the company could plan where to invest.
Let us hope that the UK Government are listening.
